The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-06-04

, have yet to hear that he was eve
; over-reached in any operation b.
went into. Ralston discovered him
and with that keen insight which
marked the unfortunate Ralston
recognized Sharon's peculiar fitness
for the position of agent Of the banl
at Virginia City. 1t required a mar
Of Sharon's calibre to cope Will
the other Comstock magnates
and he did it to perfection, and sc
we'll indeed that he not emily pro.
tected the interests Of the bank, but
made q handsome fortune for him
self. got the bonanza crowd, as q
measure of self-defense, to assist
him in his aspirations toward the
United States senate, and in time
became the leading authority in the
Bank of California and principal
owner OF the Spring Valley Water
Works of San Francisco. He came
very near making q fatal mistake
once. and that was when he wrote
his name on a piece of paper and
gave Sarah Althea Hill an opportu-
nifty to write a marriage certificate
above it. That was the one weak act
of his career. And yet he frequently
used women as a means to an end.
When he desired q certain kind of
information to get on the street he
told it to some one of his numerous
lady friends under an injunction of
profound secrecy. Oh, he knew
them, did the willy Sharon. He
has scooped his competitors many
a time and oft by this same means.
Finally there was a consultation
of the scooped, and they swapped
information and the game was up.
But Sarah Althea's raid on the old
man broke him up.
"To think that any one would
attempt to take such a base ad-
vantage of me-" he sorrowfully re-
marked to w. H. L. Barnes, his
attorney. Then, when the trial
was finally ended, in victory for
ex-senator, he made up his mind
that it had been a pretty close call,
and. everything considered, hadn't
he better shuttle out Of this wicked
world. And he ehuff1ed, leaving Il
fortune of over $23,OOO,OOO to be
divided among" his one child and
heir, Lady Flora Hesketh.
JOHN P. JONES.
John P. Jones is a man of differ
ent calibre from the average mining
man. He came to the Comstock
at an early day; got hold of the
Grown Point mine; made a large
fortune out of it; went to the sen
ate, and cut something of a figure.
Then he lost his fortune in the deal
of 70. One morning. just after
the disastrous end. l saw him and
Johnny Skae. who from triple
millionaire had been reduced to
condition "$25O,OOO worse off than
nothing" That is, he was in debt
that amount to the Nevada bank.
It was 2 o'clock in the morning,
and they we're seated in box ad-
Joining mine in a Bush street oys-
ter saloon. Skae was "loaded,
and the way he was cursing the
bonanza firm was a caution. Jones
was sober, and he was trying to
keep Skae quiet. Since then Skae
has become permanently quiet, and
Jones is quietly gathering in a
fortune from his Alaska mining
operations.
LUCKY BALDWIN.
LUCKY" Baldwin is a very COM
monplace person, indeed. He
wears good clothes, but they never
seem to fit him. He has a very
red nose, which seems to fit him
exactly. He was formerly q show
man. / think he had or got to-
gether a show in China, which he
brought to San Francisco. He got
into mining stock speculation and
the first thing the world knew he
was OH top. Having got fortune,
he did the Henry VIII. act by get
ting rid of his wife. His attorney
received one thousand shares OF
Ophir for his services. This stock
was then worth in the market $3.50
per share. Having rid himself Of
his wife he was ready to do the
town in the most approved manner,
and for some years his life was the
talk of the town. But many of his
deeds were pitifully despicable.
Finally he married a second wife.
She palled upon him in good time,
and the next thing We hear of is
separation, and Lucky" being shot
by q female relative, whose ruin he
is alleged to have accomplished.
But why 90 into further details?
Baldwin is one of the accidents
made possible by the Comstock:
He owns . magnificent hotel and
opera house in San Francisco, q
lovely ranch in Southern Califor-
mia and has . string of running
horses and plenty of coin. During
the coming summer he will be
smiled upon within the precincts
of the charmed circle Of more than
- .A.I H., rh q punsnn anri.